An Indian engineer (Suryanarayan) lies kidnapped by the Taliban somewhere in Afghanistan. They threaten to kill him in the next 24 hours if Indians working in Afghanistan do not leave the country. Obviously, his family—a wife (Manjula) and three young children—are totally distraught in Hyderabad.

They go to the Chief Minister's residence. But the CM refuses to meet them. Yes, you read that right, the CM refuses to meet them because, they didn't have a prior appointment, according to the CNN-IBN correspondent. Come tomorrow, they are told.

Dr Y.S. Rajashekhar Reddy and his staff deserve our very best wishes for not letting emotions and feelings come in the way of their imperturbable sense of procedure and protocol at a trying moment like this. Please send it to them.

It is our fault that we even elect these people. Whenever we have an election, if we are not satisfied with the governing party, we vote and elect the opposition, who are just as bad. , soulless ‘creatures’ are then made PMs/CMs/Ministers – and at the end of their term, what do they have to show as progress? Loads of money, our money, in their Swiss bank accounts, that’s what.

I prefer the American way of doing things – elect the person not the party. At least, you know what you are going to get that way. (There are exceptions to every rule, like the current one in US, for example :) )

I just cannot believe that CM does not see the family becuase they do not have the prior appointment. CNN must be reporting wrongly. Our politicians are not known for compassion. But I cannot imagine they can be this bad.

Suryanarayan’s dastardly killing by the Taliban should be seen in a larger context. Naturally, India will blame the Taliban but the fact is, it is the hidden hand of Pakistan who are treating Taliban with kid gloves to spite India for its growing influence and nearness to Afgan govt that is the root of all this proxy killing. unfortuantely, the UPA govt is crowing that it is facilitating the movement of people from both sides of the border by opening various routes not realising that that it has least impact on resolution of Kashmir problem. Add to this President Musharraf periodically coming out with some ‘out of the box’ solution which is only a ploy to draw the redherring while keeping the K problem for ever on the boil which is the raison de’tre of the very existance of Pakistan. All this so called popular action only exposes the soft underbelly of the govt who seem to live in an illusion of make believe political naivete.Unless, the govt snaps out of it self-induced delusion, all its action will only help more dastardly act of Taliban and more Suryanaranas and Ramankuttys wil come under Taliban sword in Afganistan.

The picture gives a different story, not that I know enough to support/oppose this thread. YSR is visiting the family. The circumstance could have happened, but with so much media attention, any politician worth his salt(!) will take that as a useful tool.
Now there are reprots that a "second" wife of Suryanarayan has turned up to claim the ex-gratia announced.